I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Silver Elite by Dani Francis. Thank you to Del Rey UK for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Twenty-year-old Wren Darlington is not your ordinary Mod. She’s one of the most powerful in existence. But her world is divided. On the Continent, being a known Modified means certain death, as the Primes—those immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the population 150 years ago—want nothing more than to eliminate those who were enhanced by the toxin and developed psychic powers.
Wren has survived all these years by concealing her abilities and keeping a low profile while doing what she can to aid the rebel Uprising in fighting against the Primes’ oppressive rule. But one careless mistake places her in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, and she is forced to join their most elite program: Silver Block. Unwittingly, her enemy has given her—and the Uprising—the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.
That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her cocky, maddeningly attractive commanding officer.
Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Wren cannot let Cross get in the way of her mission. But as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, emotions run high and secrets are revealed, forcing Wren to decide how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.
Publication Date: 6th May
CW: torture, abuse, imprisonment, sexual assault, suicide, death, murder, violence, gore, injury, execution
My Thoughts:
Silver Elite was a seething, twisty story that really sits in morally ambiguous territory and makes complex decisions that actually have consequences.
Between this, Sunrise on the Reaping and Fable for the End of the World, dystopian is certainly back with a bang. With the current political climate, this comes as no surprise with the genre’s ability to explore current issues through a sci-fi lens taken to their extreme. Francis understands this in a pulse-pounding exploration of constant surveillance and politics that seek to wipe out groups of people. This is a no holds barred story with tangible stakes and Francis certainly delivers on them. There is blood under the fingernails of this book with some particularly brutal scenes that still have not left my mind. Entangled with this is a fascinating magic system around the Modifieds. There is a fine balance of giving us just enough but leaving us wanting more from the rest of the planned trilogy. This is hit perfectly, as is the rest of the world-building and overall set-up. There is one hell of an ending that left me desperate for the next instalment.
Wren herself is a complex protagonist and certainly does not always make the choices you’re rooting for her to make. She is deeply loving and caring but also scheming and focused on survival at all costs. Her abilities are brilliant when we get to explore them. She finds herself at odds with her formidable trainer Cross. The way their relationship shifts and evolves feels understandable, even as it is full of betrayal and secrets. Like the rest of the book, it is not clear cut and firmly sits in a messy place of both love and hate. I enjoyed the way this fed into the political machinations they’re both embroiled in and the way it came into play within missions.
Silver Elite delivers classic dystopian beats in a thrilling new story that sets up an intriguing trilogy that I look forward to continuing.
Next up, I’d like to talk about The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dan was just a teenager when he had a chance encounter with the elusive killer known only as “the man made of smoke”. Nobody could blame him for being too scared to intervene, for being too scared to save the latest victim, for letting the killer vanish again. Nobody except Dan himself.
Years later, Dan has a successful career as a criminal psychiatrist, unpicking the very darkest of human behaviour. Because, despite what he saw that day, Dan knows there’s no such thing as a monster.
But now his father, John, has gone missing. And, when Dan returns to the small island where he grew up, he finds out that not long before his disappearance, John had stumbled across a body.
As Dan begins to dig, he finds unsettling links, stretching all the way back to the man made of smoke. Which means this might just be a chance to not only save his dad, but to finally find redemption.
But what if he’s been wrong about that day for all these years. What if he was right to be scared?
Publication Date: 8th May
CW: murder, death, violence, fire, death of a child, abuse
My Thoughts:
The Man Made of Smoke was the type of thriller that leaves you with shivers. It was heart-pounding and compulsively readable with a plot that me glued to the pages.
This is one of those nightmares brought to life – focusing on a child killer and abductor. It is incredibly chilling and North uses this to its full capacity. Right from the opening scene, you are in the palm of his hand. It sticks out and makes you unable to look away. All of this makes for lightening in a bottle with this twisty and tense thriller. You flick between different perspectives and timelines to start to slot the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle together and the overall picture is terrifying. The monstrosity of humanity is on full display with this cat and mouse game both then and now. North expertly leads you down a few rabbit holes with a wonderfully plotted story. These twists feel like the rug has been pulled out from under your feet as they completely upend the story as you knew it so far. It is so well-crafted.
Compounded with this is Dan’s overwhelming guilt about his inaction all those years ago. Throughout you have that ticking clock and sense of dread hanging heavy over both Dan and the reader. He’s grappling with fragmented pieces of his memory starting to come together and work out the layers of that encounter. North uses his story to grapple with the impact of trauma and guilt extending through the years with nuance and sensitivity. You get an immediate sense of how this has shaped his life and that of those around him. It adds an emotional complexity to the thriller and another layer to his motivations in solving this.
The Man Made of Smoke slivers under your skin and leaves you feeling uneasy. It is an ambitious and well-executed thriller that will keep you up until the early hours.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Eat The Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin. Thank you to Titan Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
During a visit to her local shopping mall, Shell Pine sees a ‘HELP NEEDED’ sign in a flower shop window. She’s just left her fiancé, lost her job, and moved home to her parents’ house. She has to bring some good into her life, so she takes a chance. And flowers are just the good thing she’s been looking for, as is Neve, the beautiful florist. The thing is, Neve needs help more than Shell could possibly imagine.
An orchid growing in the heart of the mall is watching them closely. The beautiful florist belongs to him, and he’ll do just about anything to make sure he can keep growing big and strong. Nothing he eats— nobody he eats—can satisfy him, except the thing he most desires. Neve. He will stop at nothing to eat the one he loves.
Publication Date: 3rd June
CW: death, violence, murder, grief, depression
My Thoughts:
Eat The Ones You Love was a bizarre, twisted and terrific story of obsession that I adored. It is uniquely entrancing – kind of a postmodern Little Shop of Horrors esque tale.
I adore Griffin’s writing style, having thoroughly enjoyed her previous work. There is a lyricism and delicate beauty surrounded by deadly thorns – it gets stuck in your mind as you’re entranced by this beguiling horror. She also brings such fantastic concepts to the table and enrichs them with cracking characterisation and an emotional depth that pulls you right in. This delivers once again on both counts.
It is a strange story but also one that speaks to that chasm of loneliness from the path you didn’t know you were going to take. It is a lonely, isolated pit of despair that Baby emerges from and exploits. There is an inevitability to events – a lingering feel of dread that slowly escalates. It is a deeply human horror story, rooted in the messiness and complexity of relationships and changing dynamics. There is also a lot to be said about homecoming and family, feeling like that aspect of your life is already mapped out for you. There is a particuar scene with Shell that comes into play later in the book that rings through my mind.
Both Shell and Neve are caught in their own spirals of destruction and recognising that is heart-breaking. Their relationship is fraught and full of fissures with the secrets they are both keeping. Baby as a narrative voice is domineering and all-consuming, you cannot help but want to listen to the murderous obsessive plant. That darkness is monstrous and unnerving and yet there is a kernel of bleak humour woven in. It is not a book that shies away from the murky morality at play here. Without giving anything away, I really loved the ending and the final note the book decides to leave you with.
Eat the Ones You Love is ultimately a deeply character-driven horror about obsession, trying to break free from the fate assigned you to and queer love.
A Short Book Lover 
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